Our curated monthly screening for March is a partnership with Hot Docs, which celebrates its 25th edition from April 26 – May 6 at the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema and at several other venues around the city. We’re pleased that we’ll have a representative from the festival to talk up this year’s selection of films ahead of our screening, as well as to give away an awesome Festival 10-pack of tickets as a raffle prize. We’re also delighted to announce Woodhouse Brewing Co. as our Official Beverage Sponsor, with $5 tall cans available at all of our screenings. Join us at 6pm for a frosty cold beer in the lobby and we’ll share our plans for upcoming screenings and our festival in November!

The strange but true story of how Japanese racehorse Haru Urara became a nationally celebrated symbol of perseverance while enduring a losing streak of epic proportions. Director and artist Mickey Duzyj traveled to Japan to uncover the story behind the horse’s unlikely rise to celebrity, and presents this animated short as the answer to how an undersized horse who vowed to “Never Give Up” became known as The Shining Star of Losers Everywhere.

In 1939, 20,000 Americans rallied in New York’s Madison Square Garden to celebrate the rise of Nazism – an event largely forgotten from American history. A Night at the Garden uses striking archival fragments recorded that night to transport modern audiences into this gathering and to shine a light on the disturbing fallibility of seemingly decent people.

Critic-turned-filmmaker Katherine Monk trains her lens on DJ Rhiannon Rozier in this short film about breaking the glass ceiling in a music industry dominated by men. The Vancouver-raised, university-educated Rozier was so intent on making a career in the Electronic Dance Music (EDM) scene that she did something she never thought she’d do: she posed for Playboy.

Thanks to everyone who attended last night. It was another small but passionate audience, with a clear favourite for our Audience Award. Congratulations to Mickey Duzyj, whose film about a loveable losing racehorse won our Audience Award prize by several lengths!

The Shining Star of Losers Everywhere – 7 votes

Object – 1 vote

Peace in the Valley – 1 vote

These C*cksucking Tears – 1 vote

(10 votes total)

Our next screening will be back at the Carlton in April 2017. More news here, on Twitter, and on Facebook. Sign up for the newsletter and don’t miss a thing.

We’re kicking off our SIXTH great season next month and we’d love it if you could join us. We have an amazing lineup of films and after that, we’ll be walking over to Lou Dawg’s Southern BBQ (76 Gerrard St. E.) for food, beverages, and post-screening conversation. We’d love it if you could join us!

Object is a creative and abstract image of an underwater search. The action takes place in the dimensions of two worlds – ice desert and underwater. The story is told from the point of view of the rescue team, of the diver entering the water all covered by ice, and of the ordinary people waiting on the shore.

Winner, Short Film Special Jury Prize for Visual Poetry – Sundance Film Festival

Duration: 15:00

PEACE IN THE VALLEY

Dirs: Michael Palmieri and Donal Mosher
USA – 2015

Peace in the Valley follows the town of Eureka Springs, Arkansas on the eve of a groundbreaking vote for LGBT rights. As the polls close, citizens on all sides of the issue grapple with the roles faith, sexuality and commerce play in their personal lives and community. Meanwhile, at the largest outdoor production of the life of Christ in the USA, the audience is waiting and the show must go on.

Official Selection – Sundance Film Festival

Duration: 15:00

SUNRISE ON THE TOTAL CHAOS

Dir: Craig Norris
Canada – 2016

An experimental short that surrealistically transports viewers to the deck of the Total Chaos, a lobster fishing vessel on the magnificent Bay of Fundy at sunrise.

Duration: 5:00

THE SHINING STAR OF LOSERS EVERYWHERE – AUDIENCE AWARD WINNER

Dir: Mickey Duzyj
USA – 2016

The strange but true story of how Japanese racehorse Haru Urara became a nationally celebrated symbol of perseverance while enduring a losing streak of epic proportions. Director and artist Mickey Duzyj traveled to Japan to uncover the story behind the horse’s unlikely rise to celebrity, and presents this animated short as the answer to how an undersized horse who vowed to “Never Give Up” became known as The Shining Star of Losers Everywhere..

Official Selection – Sundance Film Festival

Duration: 18:00

ROUGH WATERS

Dir: Claire Imler
USA – 2016

Submerged in the darkness of her depression, Katie struggles to stay afloat the rough waters in her life, but uncovers what matters most in her journey to recovery.

Duration: 6:30

THESE C*CKSUCKING TEARS

Dir: Dan Taberski
USA – 2016

The uncompromising voice behind the first gay-themed country music album – 40 years after its release.

Official Selection – Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film Festival

Duration: 16:00

UNDERDOG

Dirs: Naomi Mark and Vivian Belik
Canada – 2016

With economic and physical challenges in the way, a young Japanese expat prepares to compete in a 1000 mile dog sled race to fulfill her mother’s dying wish.

Duration: 10:00

Show us your shorts and we’ll show you ours! The Facebook RSVP is free, advance tickets are (still!) just $10, and door tickets are only $12. And why not bring a friend? 🙂